An intermediate node, such as a router, may be used to interconnect communication links and nodes of a computer network maintained as one or more autonomous systems. A function of the router is to determine a node to which data traffic in the autonomous system may be directed. To accomplish such “routing”, the router cooperates with other routers to determine best paths throughout the autonomous system using various routing protocols, such as the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). Specifically, the routers exchange (“advertise”) routing information among neighboring (peering) routers in the autonomous system, wherein the routing information may include destination address prefixes, i.e., portions of destination addresses used by the BGP routing protocol to render routing (“next hop”) decisions.
Hot potato routing is an attempt to render a best path routing decision that directs the data traffic to a next hop (e.g., an exit or egress point of the autonomous system) that is closest to the router, e.g., a route reflector, rendering the decision. Note that an egress point is an exit point (e.g., a point of presence or a border router) of the autonomous system that may be utilized to reach a destination address prefix. Typically, the route reflector may render its decision based upon a position of the egress point with respect to itself, rather than the position of the egress point with respect to its peering router, i.e., a route reflector client. Note also that the route reflector client may be embodied as any type of router, including a border router deployed on the perimeter of the autonomous system. Therefore, the egress point associated with the best path rendered and advertised by the route reflector to the route reflector client may not be the best path to the destination address prefix.